A dazzling display of seemingly impossible high notes locked in the first place finish for a South Korean soprano at the annual Metropolitan Opera National Council’s Gulf Coast regional auditions on Sunday afternoon. Hye Jung Lee advances to the national semi-finals in New York in March for a chance at thousands of dollars in prize money, as well as a shot at international stardom.

Lee, a 29-year-old soprano from Seoul, South Korea, displayed a sweet tone and graceful musicality with Amina’s aria from Bellini’s “La Sonnambula.” She clearly has a distinct understanding and a nicely developed technique for bel canto classics.

Soprano Hye Jung Lee, 29, won the first-place prize at Sunday's Gulf Coast regional finals audition concert. Her dazzling performance of the demanding aria, 'I am the wife of Mao Tse-tung,' from John Adams' 'Nixon in China,' secured her win. Courtesy of AMICI

However, it was a powerhouse reading of “I am the wife of Mao Tse-tung,” from John Adams’ landmark contemporary opera “Nixon in China,” that made Lee’s voice stand out from the others. Hardly a pretty piece of music, it was a daring choice for the petite soprano to tackle in a competition. The severe aria is among the most difficult in modern works, with its series of jolting high notes and impassioned power. Lee picked off those notes with fluid strength, culminating with a high D that has led many to compare it to Mozart’s Queen of the Night aria.

Andre Courville, a 26-year-old bass-baritone from Lafayette, took the second-place prize singing “Sorge infausta,” the magician Zoroastro’s aria from Handel’s “Orlando,” producing a rich, warm sound. He also gave a confident, showy performance as Mephistopheles with an aria from Gounod’s “Faust.”

The third place honors were split between two of the singers. Puerto Rican soprano Anais Majias, 22, offered a lovely stage presence and a big voice with a clean pretty sound, singing arias from Donizetti’s “Anna Bolena” and Puccini’s “Turandot.” Nataly Wickham, a 23-year-old soprano from Seattle, scored with “Mi tradi” from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” She particularly impressed with a brightly lyrical rendering of Micaela’s aria from Bizet’s “Carmen.”

Even the most seasoned opera lovers among the audience in Loyola University’s Roussel Hall for the concert competition noted a trend this year among the repertoire chosen by the finalists – an abundance of rarely performed, often contemporary, and generally obscure pieces. While the competition strategy might be to offer the judges arias they hadn’t heard time and time again, the move could easily backfire. Why showcase your ability to sing a piece that most opera companies have no interest in staging?

The judges for the Gulf Coast regional finals were Gayletha Nichols, the executive director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council; Kim Witman, general director of the Wolf Trap Opera Company; Christopher McBeth, artistic director of the Utah Symphony and Opera; and Steven White, principal guest conductor of Opera Roanoke.

The National Auditions are held in 13 regions across North America. Sunday’s 12 finalists were selected from the 35 competitors in Saturday’s semi-final round for the Gulf Coast region, which featured singers from the districts of New Orleans/Shreveport/Mobile, Houston and Puerto Rico, which make up the Gulf Coast Region.